Microphone arrays typically include multiple microphones strategically arranged spatially. Each of the microphones in the array are of the same characteristics, e.g., directionality, sensitivity, etc. Types of microphones that can be used in arrays include omnidirectional microphones, unidirectional microphones, cardioid microphones, and shotgun microphones. Each of these types of microphone is designed to capture sounds from different directions according to polar patterns relative to the orientation of the microphone. Each microphone in the array is connected to an acoustic signal processor effectively making the array behave as a single microphone with a dynamically configurable polar pattern different than the polar pattern inherent of an individual microphone in the array. This way, the microphone array is “steered” by changing its effective polar pattern to point to the desired sound source, not steered by physical motion of the array or microphones within the array.